Improvement in self loading and priming fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENT EETcE..

SILAS DAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF LOADING AND PRIIVIING FIRE-ARMS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 364, datcd August 3l, 1837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAS DAY, ofthe city, county, and State oi' New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms, called the Self Loading and Priming Ride, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in attaching to the stock, at the breech of the gun, a single or many chambered cylinder, which receives from a magazine placed above it the charges one at a time, as often as the gun is cocked. The many-chambered cylinder contains only two charges at any one time. The single cylinder is loaded by simply turning the barrel half round twice.

To enable gunsmiths and others skilled in similar business to make and use this rifle, I herein more fully describe its construction.

The cap, (see the annexed drawings, Plate I, N o. 2:) This is a piece of solid metal, generally cast-steel,turned toits shape. Its form is that of a circular disk, E, about two inches diameter, with a spindle, H, on one side at the center,

. about two inches long and three-eighths of an inch thick. On one side of the disk a recess is turned out one-eighth of an inch deep. A hole, J, is made in the disk on one side of the center, in which is screwed the barrel F. This spindle is the axis upon which turns the manychambered cylinder.

The many-chambered cylinder, (Plate I, an-

Y nexed drawings, Nos. land 3 z) This is turned ont of a solid piece of metal one inch and three-fourths long and an inch and a half diameter. A hole through the center` A admits it upon the spindle of the cap. An enlargement or collar at the outer end has as many notches S as there are chambers. The chambers K, No. 3, in any convenient number, are drilled out equidistant around the center, leaving sufficient substance at the bottom, in which is drilled a smaller hole to receive the priming from the touch-hole D. Upon the outside are holes B C D connecting with each chamberone round hole, B, for the ball, which, when the rie loads, falls in first 5 a long hole, C, in the shape of a parallelogram, to admit the powder, and a 'small hole, D, for the percussionprlming.

The outside cylinder, (see plate I, annexed drawings, No. 4:) This serves to contain the many-chambered cylinder, which is first turned and then tted into it by grinding. Itis made stout to sustain the explosive force of the powder. The m an y-ch ambered cylinder is put into this, and secured there by dovetails or tins with screws. These cylinders are held upon the spindle ot' the cap by a nut which `is sunk in the end of the outside cylinder. M, the ball-hole; N, for the priming.

The maga-zine, (Plate I, No. 6 This is cupshaped and attached to the outside cylinder at L. It is for containing the powder, which passes down through a hole to O in Nos. l and 3. Around it is a spiral pipe, O, for the balls. A small tube for the priming passes down through the cup-shaped magazine P to the holes N, Nos. l and 3. The spiral pipe is attached to the outside cylinder at top. The magazine is covered with a lid.

The apparatus for loading, (No. 6, Plate I:) This is attached to the outside cylinder. When the gun is cocked by pulling back the hammer, a cam, T, with a dovetail-notch, sliding in the groove Y, connected with it by a rod, U, moves a ratchet, It, which catches into the notches S ofthe cylinder Nos. l and 3. The ratchet is then moved back to its original position by a spring, K, No 4, or by the inger. Every time the gun is cocked the many-chambered cylinder is' moved one notch and receives one charge. The gun vis discharged by the hammer striking into the hole N, No. 4, which, when the gun is loaded, by pulling back the hammer, receives percussion-powder.

Instead oi' a cam, as described, for turning and loading the cylinder, a pair of handles are attached (see No. 7) to the outside cylinder beneath, at the front end. One of them, X, is stationary. The other, Y, is hinged. The connecting-rod Z is hinged at one end upon the handle Y, and at the other upon the ratchet. The spring W serves'to push back the ratchet. To load by this process, these handles are pressed together with the left hand, while the gun is cocked with the right.

When this riiie is to have but one chamber, the cylinder is a single tube bored out a little larger than the barrel. (See annexed Plate II.)

N o. 1 is the inner cylinder or chamber, called the revolving breech.7 A, No. l, is the collar, with a notch upon each side, in which the spring J No. 2, catches. Upon one side are two holes, B, to receive the ball C for the powder, and on the opposite side is the touchhole to receive the priming. On one end is a screw, Which fastens it to the barrel.

No. 2 shows the outside cylinder with the magazine `(l E F upon it. Into this the revolving breech is fitted, being turned of a slightly conical form and ground in from the back end. Upon the top of the outside cylinder is a magazine, as before described, except that the pipe for the ball is Vertical instead of being spiral. This apparatus is attached to the stock by a strap, I, No. 2, the top being fastened by another smaller. Upon the strap I is a spring, J, which catches into the notch K of the collar.

To load this itis only necessary to turn the barrel. The spring J catches it when. turned half round, and the ball and powder fall into the chamber. It is then turned the other half It is dis- What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The method above described of Aturning the many-chambered cylinder Within another by means of a ratchet and notches, either with a cam or handles.

2. I claim the method of attaching` one sill-- SILAS DAY.

/Vitnesscs SETE E. GLAPP, OWEN G. WARREN. 

